Running Out of Time
by sithzutara
Summary: Vandal Savage has succeeded at world domination and corruption. When Diana and Kal are sent to an alternate Earth, they are forced to work with a rebel leader to end Savage's toxic rule. But Savage wants to break the Rebellion and destroying the new-comers is just a bonus. BMWW. Based on Savage Time from JLU.
1. Prologue

**Summary:** **Vandal Savage has succeeded at world domination and corruption. When Diana and Kal are sent to an alternate Earth, they are forced to work with a rebel leader to end Savage's toxic rule. But Savage wants to break the Rebellion and destroying the new-comers is just a bonus.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of DC's characters or concepts. Don't sue me. Please.**

 **Warning:** **This story will NOT consist of sappy Bruce/Batman who cries and confesses his love people. Nor will this include a wimpy Diana/Wonder Woman fighter. I REPEAT THIS WILL NOT BE OOC.**

 **A/N: After a month of planning and thinking, I have finally published the first chapter of my new Wonderbat fanfiction. Much thanks to my Beta bisexualclarkent on tumblr. Enjoy! xx Yasmin**

* * *

 **" Rewind. Rewind. Rewind. "**

 **- _Satisfied_ , Hamilton**

 **Prologue**

 **OFF WORLD**

 **Present 2006**

On Earth they were known as Wonder Woman and Superman; selfless heroes that sacrificed everything so the people could live a better tomorrow. But this was no Earth and they were not saviors, but outsiders. The foreign word was bitter in Diana's mouth.

The two had been sent on a diplomatic mission by J'onn who had received a distress signal by the occupants of the planet. They were to solve the issue and return; it was only supposed to take a few days' time.

When they arrived to the planet, it seemed as if the life had been sucked out. The sky was muck gray and every piece of nature was shriveled. Diana crouched down to what used to be a bush and reached out her hand to touch a wilted flower. The petals crumpled in her hand.

Without glancing back at Superman, she muttered, "Is this world even redeemable, Kal?" Her words were carried away by the howls of the wind, but she knew he had heard her.

"Nothing is ever too far gone for salvation," he looked through the mist that hovered over the world before he spoke again. "We must remember that, or we'll lose all that we stand for." His face was serious but his eyes were joyful; the most powerful man in the world and he had a heart the size of the sun.

Diana smiled at him and rested a hand in his shoulder. She opened her mouth to thank him for his guidance but was interrupted by what could only be described as a war cry. She glanced over to him and saw he was already in the air. Diana grinned, her hand itching to unsheathe her sword that had been calling to her all the while. "That's our cue."

As he flew away, Kal called over his shoulder, "The never ending battle-"

"-it awaits." She too began to hover and rushed into battle. "We should split up and cover more ground," Diana called over the wind, "we'll learn of anything faster that way." After Kal agreed, Diana separated from his path and headed towards the destruction.

She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she approached the battlefield. The land was in-caged by mauve spikes and encased by scorched walls, creating a circle similar to an arena. There was smoke in the air, making it obvious that some kind of bombs were dropped on the area, as flames raged on the ground below her. Diana felt her breath quicken and her senses heighten. She descended and landed with such strength that it shook the very ground she now stood upon.

With a smile only a warrior possessed, Diana at last pulled her sword out from its confinement and wielded it in her right hand. She examined the terrain surrounding her but couldn't find any signs of the creatures she had spotted from above. Noticing tracks on the planet's maroon surface, Diana knelt down to inspect the claw marks but found that she had little to no skill in the field of tracking. She usually left it to Batman. The thought of her comrade gave her a pause; how was he? Was he getting enough sleep? Diana released a chuckle at the thought of the Dark Knight actually resting.

Just as she was about to stand up, an arm came around her throat and pulled her into a body. "It's a long way from home, human. What is your business here?" The being hissed into her ear and tightened its hold on her neck.

Diana quickly positioned her leg behind her assailant's and swept his legs out from beneath him. The ground trembled at the sheer mass of the creature. She put one foot right on his solar plexus, depriving him of the ability breathe easily. Raising her sword once again, Diana placed the tip of her blade at his neck, just below the chin, and raised his head to look at her eye-to-eye. The creature had scales in numerous shades of purple and had a tail that could easily wrap around her. "You must be confused, little man," she said as she glared unflinchingly into his gray eyes, "I'll be asking the questions from here on out and you shall answer me with honesty." The reptile only spat on her face.

Wiping off the slobber, Diana let her sword stab into his tail, incapacitating him, as he let out a cry of pain. She pulled her sword out of his flesh and cleaned off the blood by smearing it on her leg, flipping it to the back of the blade, and then doing the same process. Once satisfied, Diana sheathed her blade and focused on the matter at hand. She stood back up and carried her captive by his throat, barely sparing a glance as his fingers scratched desperately at her hand. Diana walked across the rocky land and out of her peripheral vision she could see signs of a once prosperous planet: beautiful but dead plants lined the walls, ruins of pillars and statues on the floor, and three golden moons shined in the foggy, gray sky. When she heard more gasps from the being, Diana finally decided to get some answers.

She slammed the lilac reptilian into the cave wall behind him and heard the fulfilling sound of a crack. The wall had formed a spider web crack around his head and the creature groaned in pain. Diana, satisfied with her work, chose to have leniency on the being. "I'll offer you one last chance; will you answer with candor?" The being looked as if he wished so badly to give in, but only cracked a halfhearted, pointy-toothed smile.

"I will never submit to a woman." His eyes flashed with distaste. He nearly yelped when Diana struck her palm to his shoulder, further digging it into the wall behind him.

"I do not think you are in any position to make that decision." Sighing, she reached to her waist and began to uncoil her Lasso of Truth. With an expression that seemed to convey boredom, Diana held her lasso and stared at it for a few seconds before saying, "I wish it didn't have to come to this, but you leave me no choice."

Diana threw her lasso around the reptile's neck and he fidgeted with panic when she began to tighten it. The being let out a weak whimper, for the lasso allowed little to no comfort around its throat. Diana shifted her stance so her left leg was now in front and supported her weight on her back leg. "The lasso compels you," she spoke as the lasso began to glow a golden color. "What has happened here? Is there something I should know?"

The reptile attempted to resist but it was futile. His eyes changed from those of a composed warrior's to those of a frightened child's. "A war between my kind and our enemy. It has lasted for decades. But something is different; there has been a shift in the energy field around us. The magnetic flow in the air; can you feel it? The way it electrifies the atmosphere? No, you wouldn't know; you haven't been here long enough to know of the world before. Change has arrived and your kind is responsible." His back relaxed against the wall and his head lolled to the side. But Diana wasn't done.

"Where must I go to find the source of this change?" She stared at his movements to see if anything gave her a sign to what she must do next. Diana saw a muscle strain in the reptile's face; he was resisting again. Her patience was wearing thin. "I will not be denied. Answer the question," she commanded. The lasso was inducing more pain within the creature and Diana felt remorse for the hurt she is causing him but some things must be done. As the creature's mouth gaped, she leaned in to hear his hushed voice.

"The cave," was all he could gasp out before falling into unconsciousness.

Diana let his body crumple to the floor and adjusted his position so he wouldn't be completely uncomfortable; he had cooperated with her after all. But she still pondered the final words of the creature. What cave? She quickly coiled her lasso, placed it on her waist, and began to survey her surroundings.

She walked through the arena, observing every crevice in the walls and scanning the ground for traps. The sound of her armored boots on the ground had without a doubt alerted all of her enemies that she was near. Batman would disapprove. She skimmed her hands across the uneven walls, searching for any sign of the mysterious cave.

Just as she was about to turn away, her hands felt a strange lever of sorts. Diana hesitated. This planet wasn't flourishing with technology and it seemed as though the reptilian she had encountered despised all ties with humans. So why was this here? She pulled the lever down and waited one, two, three seconds for the door to slide back. The dungeon

Diana cautiously entered, withdrawing her blade once more just in case. She placed one foot in front of the other, ever so slowly. She looked above her and saw that the ceiling was covered in icicles that dripped water. The sounds of the water droplets hitting the ground echoed eerily throughout the cave.

Suddenly, a flickering blue light illuminated at the end of the tunnel. Diana winced and shielded her eyes with her left hand. She approached it with confidence and the feeling of power came over her once more. Heart thumping, she exhaled silently and walked towards the light only to come face to face with a box.

Now this wasn't just any ordinary box; it had a science to it that made it impossible to be from Earth. Diana reached out and ran her fingers along the grooves of the engravings carved all around the cube. The box flickered to life and became to hover. Her brain clouded; the box was just so enchanting like sirens calling out to her. She extended her hand once more and attempted to capture that feeling but Diana heard a distant call behind her.

In her mind, she felt as if the light was beckoning her. Through the box she could hear voices begging her to help them and to save them. How could she refuse people who needed her?

"Diana, don't touch that!" Kal came barreling towards her and pushed her away from her previous position.

She shook her head, clearing the thoughts that had plagued her mind. Kal sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry, but these Mother Boxes are extremely dangerous, even to you, Diana." He gave her a pointed look when she had opened her mouth to counter him.

"No, it's all right. I apologize for my lack of knowledge on the subject. Maybe if I knew more, this situation could've been avoided." She grabbed her fallen sword and equipped it back on her side. "How did your task go? Uneventful I presume?"

He glanced down to her legs, still covered in the creature's blood that she had cleaned off her blade, and raised an eyebrow. "Well, obviously less so than yours." Kal pointed to the direction in which she had come from and said, "We should get back to the Watchtower and debrief. There are few to no inhabitants if this planet as far as I can see."

Just as the two are about to walk away, the Mother Box began to rattle once more. Diana turned her attention from Kal to the box and watched with fascination as it flared up from within. She faintly heard him telling her to get down but it didn't process. A flash of white, and then-

Nothing.

* * *

 **EARTH 27**

 **Futuristic 1944**

"Bruce, promise us that you'll hide here no matter what happens. You can't be seen; do you understand, Bruce?" His father had his hands on Bruce's shoulders, desperately trying to get through to him. Drops of rain rolled down Bruce Wayne's face, mixing with the tears that fell down his cheeks. His mother handed him a gun and wrapped his fingers around it.

"Use this to protect yourself, son," she bent down and pressed a kiss onto his damp cheek for one, two, three seconds. Martha Wayne forced herself to pull back and wiped a stray tear away. Bruce threw himself at her and wrapped his short arms around her legs.

"Why are you going, mother?" His voice was muffled by her leather pants. Bruce pulled back far enough to glance at his father. "Why are you leaving?"

Thomas Wayne knelt down to be at eye level with his son. "Your mother and I started something, Bruce. Promise me you'll finish what we started." Bruce nodded shakily at the desperation in his gaze. He watched as his father stood up and turned towards Alfred. "Make sure he is safe, Alfred."

Then, Bruce watched as his parents clasped each other's hands and walked out of the alleyway. He ran to join them, but Alfred held him back. The butler attempted to walk the young master away from the scene, but Bruce broke free and ran back into the shadows. He awaited for whatever was to come.

They stood in front of a man with black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He had a large build and a cloud of darkness hovered over him. He caressed Martha's face, and her body went rigid. Thomas clenched his fists, "What do you want with us, Savage?"

Savage. Bruce had heard the name before; Vandal Savage. This man had made the world burn.

Vandal Savage tilted his head to the side as if to consider the question. "And here I thought you were a smart man, Mr. Wayne. Let me put it in perspective for you. Imagine a gardener; he has tended to his garden for years making sure it prospered and flourished. He goes on a trip only a week long. When he returns, he sees his once beautiful garden in shambles; a weed had managed to grow. One weed had paved the way for numerous others to join it and wreak havoc."

He moved towards one of his lieutenants and opened a briefcase that lay there. He withdrew a silver blaster and began to polish it. "Do you understand now, Mr. Wayne? You and your lovely wife Martha have started something I cannot allow. I'm afraid this is where your rebellion dies."

Savage pushed the barrel of his blaster into Thomas' temple. Alfred clasped his hands over the horrified boy's eyes, but Bruce ripped them off in hysteria. Bruce watched as his father let his eyes flutter shut. "I must remove every single weed from my garden." Vandal Savage pulled the trigger and a yellow beam of plasma went right through Thomas Wayne's head.

Alfred attempted to shield Bruce from the horror of his father's murder but it had already been done. Bruce opened his mouth in a silent scream. He could hear the ringing in his ears; his hands went cold. His heart stopped when he saw his mother fall down to cradle his father's bloody head. He watched in terror as the man who took everything away from him held the blaster to his mother's head and fired once more. Her body lay right beside her husband's.

Bruce faintly heard Alfred calling him to leave. He slowly brought the gun in his hand up so he could look at it. He felt a horrible taste in his mouth and an awful feeling rise in his stomach. He was holding a weapon that took the life of his parents. Bruce threw the gun at Vandal Savage, who still stood over his fallen parents, and struck him straight in the forehead.

Alfred grabbed Bruce and hurried out of the wretched place. A shadow passed over Bruce's eyes. He woke up that day as Bruce Wayne. He even left the alley as Bruce Wayne. But he would not return as Bruce Wayne.

Savage snapped his head in the direction of the assault. With a flick of his hand, robots began to search the fateful alleyway.

They would find nothing.

* * *

 **Futuristic 1960**

"You don't have to do this, Master Bruce. There are other ways to seek justice for your parents than prowling during the night." Alfred had been attempting to steer Bruce's mind from the fantasy of starting a rebellion for months now. In all honesty, Bruce might have been offended that his father figure thought he could change him, if he wasn't so irritated that Alfred was doing it in the first place.

Bruce and Alfred had built a secret cave under the Wayne Manor in order to accommodate for the nightly activities he will soon go on. It was strangely empty except for the massive amount of technology at the front and training equipment to the side. He would be able to do everything here from detective work, to research, to science and to fitness.

"I've studied with the best escape artists in the world, perfected my skills in every form of martial arts, and mastered being a detective. I've trained for years to get to this point and I will do everything in my power to bring justice to those who have been stripped of their lives. The rebellion I'm starting, Alfred, will only grow as time passes; people will learn that they can make a change and I will be at the front of that movement," his voice had steadily risen in volume and sheer anger.

Bruce walked over to the table near him and picked up the cowl he would soon don. The sound of bats hustling around above him filled the silence.

As he placed the cowl over his head, completing his suit at last, the Bat was born.

* * *

 **Futuristic 1964**

Life works in mysterious ways. It could only be described as fate when Bruce witnessed the murder of the Graysons, allies to the rebellion. They were taken from this Earth in the usual fashion; a blaster to the head. But what caught his attention was the familiarity of the situation. He saw the Graysons tell their son to hide in the alley just before they were killed, and he saw their son fall to his knees in despair.

Bruce walked over to the young boy and placed a hand on his trembling shoulders, much like Alfred did to him. What he didn't expect was the boy to react by kicking him in the jaw and rolling between his legs, making his escape. Bruce rubbed his jaw and in that moment, he smiled a little.

In a few days' time, he was able to track down the boy. Richard Grayson. He had managed to cover his tracks relatively well for an eleven year old.

Richard had been living in the streets, on the run from Savage's robots. When Bruce approached him, he got into a fighting stance.

"I'll do it! Don't make me hurt you." The boy was in a wobbly form, adequate at best.

"You'll have to be in a good position to do that," Bruce chuckled before using his foot to adjust Richard's stance. "Arms up; always guard your face. Never let your guard down, Richard. That's when they'll strike." He extended a hand, "I'm Bruce Wayne."

With a hesitance to him, the boy slowly extended his hand, "Dick. No one calls me Richard. Only my parents ever did." His eyes lowered at the memory of his lost family. He shook Bruce's hand with a tight and sturdy grip and looked suspiciously at the man before him. Dick looked at a bit longer before experimentally throwing a fist at his face.

Bruce caught his fist with ease before it even touched him. When he gave the boy a questioning look, Dick let out a laugh. "Just seeing if you can still function, old man." He began to run down the alley, shouting over his shoulder, "Catch me if you can!"

He wondered how this boy was able to show joy after the loss of his parents. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Dick's laughter echoing through the alley. Bruce shook his head and allowed a smile to grace his face. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and began to follow the boy.

For a traitorous second, Bruce thought he could be happy.

* * *

 **Futuristic 1966**

He met Jason under less than ideal circumstances. Batman and Robin had just finished a weapons raid and burned down one of Savage's largest warehouses in Gotham. On other nights, Dick would run ahead towards the Batmobile; he'd flip right in and they'd dash off into the night with their victory still fresh on their minds. But tonight was different.

The familiar joyous laughter from the boy, who ignored Batman's comments telling him to keep quiet, rang through the night. Gotham was the usual with darkness shrouding every corner and gargoyles looming from above. Dick turned the corner to where he knew the Batmobile would be but instead of finding it sitting in its lonesome, he came face to face with another boy. He was no Dick Grayson; no this boy had bruises all along his face and a black eye. He had a gleam to his eye that hinted that he'd seen things and his dark hair concealed his latino face.

Robin immediately withdrew his Eskrima sticks and crouched in ready position. "Who are you and what do you require?" His voice boomed and Dick hoped that the boy would surrender easily so he could just go home.

The battered boy, however, was not fazed in the slightest way. He removed and lifted up a wheel - the Batmobile's wheel - and flipped it over easily, turning it around to examine it. "Good shape," he mumbled to himself, "not too scuffed up. Should sell well enough to get me about twenty days' worth of rations." Only when the menacing Batman entered through the shadows did the scoundrel look up.

"What do you think you're doing with that?" Batman's face showed no emotion as he studied the boy before him. "Not thinking of stealing it are you?"

The boy scoffed and tucked the tire under his arm. "No, I was planning on selling it; a much more admirable thing to do, isn't it?" He was just about to walk away when Robin held him back by the collar of his worn out shirt.

"I don't think so," Robin yanked him back towards the duo, and the boy stumbled and fell in front of the Dark Knight.

Batman gave him a glare capable of terrorizing even the toughest of men, but the boy refused to waver. Finally he decided he'd had enough and turned to face Robin. "Get in the mobile, I'll join you soon."

"But-" He was cut off when he saw Batman squint his eyes. No arguments. His shoulders slumped as he slipped into the Batmobile.

As soon as Dick was out of earshot, Batman turned his attention to the boy in front of him. "Why?" He kneeled and gripped the grimy shoulders of the troubled child. "What do you to gain from this?"

"They took everything away from me. Destroyed what little family I had left. All I ever had was a mother who never cared for me and a father who beat me. I had no one. I have no one except for myself and my wits," the boy snarled and spat on Batman before wiping at his eyes angrily. "I'll use the money from this tire to buy some weapons for myself to survive. I'll make it through this hell."

For several moments the two just glared at each other before finally Batman spoke. "What's your name?"

The boy straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin a bit higher, "I'm Jason; Jason Todd." He looked distastefully at Batman's hands at his side. "But don't expect me to shake your hand or anything."

With a slight upward tilt to his mouth, Batman took his tire back. He made his way to the Batmobile, but when he didn't hear the sound of footsteps behind him, he halted. "Well, are you coming?"

Jason looked into the Dark Knight's eyes and refused to respond.

Batman let out an exasperated breath. "I would've thought that any place would be better than this hell you live in. I can teach you to never have to face fear like this again. We can fight for justice," he stretched out his hand.

Jason brushed it aside, "I don't want justice; I want revenge."

The Dark Knight shook his head; this boy was too far gone. Did Jason want to be saved? Batman pressed a button on his gauntlet and jumped into the Batmobile.

As he and Dick drove away from the scene, he saw Jason running after him in the mirror.

In his mind, Batman knew this would not be the last time he would see Jason Todd.

* * *

 **Futuristic 1972**

Get down!" He yelled over the sound of explosions and bodies falling to the ground. He managed to throw himself to the ground and roll out of the way, avoiding a shot from a blaster.

Two more robots with the familiar Swastika path on their shoulders appeared from his left. He opened his hand, the metal of his armor slid back and equipped himself with two explosive batarangs. He sent one in the direction of one of the robots and the second to another. Both weapons struck the robots in their heads and exploded after two beeps. He scanned the area and when he deemed it safe, he pressed a button on his arm. A hologram of his protégé flickered before stabilizing. "Nightwing, what is your position?"

The man was struggling to keep in contact with his mentor and fend off the robots. "You really know how to pick the best time, Batman." Nightwing stabbed his Eskrima sticks into two different robots chests and electrified them. He kicked the head off another and jumped on the shoulders of an incoming one and snapped off its head. Jason - or Red Hood as he calls himself- could be seen in the background of the hologram firing at the heads of robots.

"Is there something you need, or can this wait?" Nightwing and Red Hood ran a common training routine in which Red Hood would flip over onto Nightwing so he would be on his shoulders, and fire from above while Nightwing would work on combat below.

Batman skimmed the wasteland that lay in front of him. He was just about to ask Nightwing to give him a status report when he noticed something in the distance. He brought an armored hand to his temple and switched his normal sight to super-vision, allowing him to see farther and clearer than the best vision of man. Batman could faintly hear his partner calling his name but was too busy analyzing the warped, blue portal, running the image through every test he had with Alfred, who was scanning from the Batcave.

"Batman out." He ignored the protests from the other side and shut off the hologram.

He'd better start walking.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this 4.9k word prologue. I plan this story to be about 10-15+ chapters of about 4-5k words each. I have a lot in store for y'all so stick around. I know this wasn't a shippy chapter but we are establishing these characters.**

 **Reminder: This story will NOT consist of sappy Bruce/Batman who cries and confesses his love people. Nor will this include a wimpy Diana/Wonder Woman fighter. I REPEAT THIS WILL NOT BE OOC.**

 **Again, special thanks to my Beta bisexualclarkent you are amazing!**

 **Find me on Tumblr sithzutara**

 **Follow, Favorite, Review**

 **Love,**

 **Yasmin**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows on the last chapter. Honestly, it really gets me motivated to keep writing for you guys. Sorry it took so long to write this chapter! Though it's only been about two weeks, I've just not really had the time to sit down and just write. By the way, though this takes place in the Animated Universe storyline, I imagine these characters as they do in the DC Extended (movie) Universe. EX: Gal Gadot=WW, Ben Affleck=Batman, Henry Cavill=Superman etc.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.**

 **SPOOK ME: Thanks for the review, and no it isn't offensive at all. But spitting on the face isn't a pleasant thing in general. And I believe I only wrote it twice; the being onto Wonder Woman and Jason onto Bruce.**

 **Guest: Thanks for reading, and sorry if it wasn't clear exactly on the time.**

 **Thanks to** **Yuvraj576, Penelope Grace, kapilyadav97, and CrazyPhenom for reviewing. (Also LOTSlover followed this story and their writing is so good wow fangirling).** **Without further ado let's get on with the chapter.**

* * *

 **" There's a million things I haven't done.**

 **Just you wait. . . Just you wait. . . "**

 **-Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton**

 **Chapter One**

 **Earth 27**

 **Futuristic 1972**

Wonder Woman and Superman tumbled out of the portal and fell to their knees. Diana recovered faster than her companion and looked up just in time to see the portal close. She let out a yell of rage and slammed her fist on the ground leaving a dent in the metal. "We're in the middle of nowhere and our only way off this place just closed," Diana spoke with surprising calmness despite her recent anger as she stood up and helped Kal to his feet. She had to keep a cool head in order to overcome the predicament they were now in.

He clutched his head and grimaced. "My senses have dimmed. Whatever we came through has temporarily stunned my abilities." He tested out his theory by activating his heat vision but even though his eyes lit up with a familiar red Kal was quickly forced to turn his head away and shut his eyes. "No use. I'll have to face whatever ahead without my powers."

Diana turned her attention from her ill friend to the world around her. It was a hot day with dark, rainy clouds approaching in the distance. Tall skyscrapers rose into the sky and it was eerily silent; no movement even though it was daylight. Red flags were hung on golden poles with a black swastika on the front. Her eyes widened at the sight; had the Nazis won World War II on this alternate Earth? Beside the flags was a board with the word LEADER across the bottom edge of the frame. Within there was a poster of a man with black hair and an angry look that seemed to be how he always presented himself. But this man was unfamiliar; he did not have a strange mustache just above his upper lip. This man was no Hitler. So who was he?

Superman ripped the poster out to get a closer look at the man. "Who is he? I don't recall anything about him in regards to the Nazis." He passed the image to Wonder Woman who stared at it for a few moments before crumpling it and throwing it to the ground.

"That's because this event never happened on our Earth. The Nazis were never led by this man, who seems to be the reason the Axis Powers won World War II," she explained. "Batman spoke of these 'multiverse theory' before. When you make a choice, it creates a distinct path. Each decision we make creates a different Earth that is almost exactly like Prime Earth, or the first Earth, except in some small aspect."

"So somehow this man led the Nazi Party during World War II instead of Hitler, and he actually won the war, which created this alternate Earth?" Kal looked over to his comrade who nodded with a grim expression on her exotic features. "How do we get back? Can we even get back?"

Diana shook her head and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. "I believe the best way to figure this out, Kal, is to find a local. We'll be able to extract information and formulate an escape once we understand this Earth." She brought a hand to shield her vision as she looked off into the distance. "I think it's best that we don't use our powers. For one, you aren't even able to at the moment, and two, we don't want to draw any unwanted attention in our direction." Diana grinned at the obviously drained Superman, "Think you're up for it, Kal?"

He punched his fist into his open palm and cracked his knuckles. "Only if you are, Diana." Kal glanced down at the House of El crest on his chest. "Not to state the obvious, but I think we'll need to change into some different attire." He scanned the area before locating a common clothing store. Kal gestured for Diana to go first and the two walked into the building.

It may have looked normal on the outside, but inside was strange. It was vacant, though the sign on the door said "open", and the only attire they sold were slick, black military-like outfits. Diana reached out and grabbed the first set of clothing she saw. It was a long-sleeved shirt with a bullet-proof vest around it and a pair of dark green, tight cargo pants. When she looked to her left, she saw that Kal had already changed into his new clothes and was adjusting a pair of holographic glasses over his eyes. Once she was sure he wasn't looking, Diana took off her usual armor and stored it in a small backpack she had taken from the equipment area in the store. She pulled the shirt over her head and tugged the pants up to her waist, jumping a little to pull it up all the way. She slipped the straps of her backpack over her shoulders and secured it before bending over to lace up her newly acquired combat boots.

Just as Diana finished, she could see just enough out of her peripheral vision to catch sight of armed soldiers kneeling around the entire store. She huffed and adjusted her gauntlets around her wrists before she turned to Kal, "Do we ever get a break? You'd think for once locals would be friendly. Just once."

The two walked in sync and pushed upon the doors and stepped outside in broad daylight. Kal quietly assessed the positioning of the soldiers surrounding them. "Well, Diana, this is a world occupied by Nazis and you know how they were." She shrugged before sliding her back leg behind her and bringing her guard up; ready position. "You take the left, I take the right."

One of the soldiers, who seemed to be the leader of the group, raised his arms in mock surrender. "Look, we don't want any trouble. Just state your names and business; we don't want to have to hurt a woman."

Diana's eye twitched. "What is that supposed to mean, little man? You think I am less able than my companion because I'm a woman?" She sneered as she sharpened her stance.

Kal raised his hand at her to attempt to calm her down. "Diana, don't-"

A battle cry that could move mountains ripped out of Diana's throat as she pounced into battle. The soldier opposite to her began to fire his gun at her relentlessly, but she blocked the bullets with ease and gave a roundhouse kick to his gun. Once her foot had landed she pivoted and landed a firm hit to his jaw. She grabbed his disoriented head and smashed it to her forehead, effectively knocking him out. Another man came up from behind her and attempted to choke her, but Diana quickly dropped into a low stance and elbowed the assailant twice in the rib before sliding her leg behind his, grabbing his shirt around his waist, and flipping over her shoulder. While he was still down, she released a snarl before taking his shooting arm and twisting behind his back, pushing it just right to hear a popping sound in his shoulder socket.

Now several men at a time barreled towards her, forcing her to take a less aggressive approach. Diana's body immediately relaxed and she dodged under a set of arms and used his momentum against himself. Once she was behind him, she gave a palm heel strike to the back and he toppled over. The next one attempted to hit her with the butt of his gun, but she caught it before it reached her face. Diana twisted his wrist until he yelped in pain and dropped his weapon before pivoting her back foot, turning her hips, and hitting him with a sidekick to his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him.

Diana slowly inhaled in and closed her eyes, forcing herself to heighten her sense of hearing. More soldiers' heavy footsteps echoed louder and louder on the metallic ground as they closed in on her. Just as they were about to strike, Diana's eyes snapped open and she sprang into action. She grabbed the nearest gun in her face and used it as a way of moving herself closer to the soldier's body and knocked her head back. The sound of the man's nose breaking echoed as well as his cry of pain and anger. He took a couple steps back which was enough time for her to spin onto his soldiers and choke her legs around him before departing. She jumped down and used the abnormally large gun to push back a couple of men and hurled it at them, buying her some time.

She ran back to where she knew Kal was handling the other half of the soldiers and got into position by his side. "How many of these guys are there? I can only show restraint for so long!" Diana yelled over the sound of heavy fire as she focused on deflecting the bullets just right so they would knock the weapons out of the attackers' hands.

Kal looked over at her side where men were knocked out, battered, and bloodied. "You call that restraint?" He went back to punching a man who tried to sneak up on him.

Diana winced as she recalled dislocating and breaking a couple of things. "They made me angry! Besides, the parts I broke weren't important." She spun around, guarding her friend's back, and delivered a crescent kick to a soldier trying to get back up from his fallen state. Diana looked around and saw that all men were down and beaten. She placed a hand on Superman's shoulder and they both finally relaxed.

She wiped the sweat off of her brow and grinned at Kal. "Well, that could have been worse. " Diana adjusted the slightly oversized pants so it would hug her waist tighter; she couldn't just drop her pants in the middle of a battle after all.

Just as the two were about to turn around to walk away, a door opened with a hiss and let a beam of light shine through. The duo both instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes from the glare. As the door further slide open, a broad silhouette of a man stood and once the door finally locked in place, the man stepped out of the light and into their sights.

Diana forced her face to remain unfazed. This was the man on the posters. This was the man who led the Nazis and Axis Powers to victory. Her features twisted and eyebrows furrowed just enough for the man to glance in her direction.

Kal kept his gaze on the man before them, but he spoke ever so softly so she would be able to hear what he had to say. "You just had to say that."

If the moment wasn't so dire, she would've cracked a smile.

The man was dressed in a black military outfit with a golden medallion on the left side of his chest, and his black hair and beard neatly trimmed. He began to walk towards the two in a calmly fashion with hands behind his back until he came within feet of them. Moments went by as they studied each other, before he finally spoke.

"It seems that you've managed to defeat an entire fleet of my men. Advanced soldiers with high levels of skill in weaponry and strategy," his tone was as unforgiving as his face. "So tell me," he had begun pacing and now stood in front of Diana, "how did the two of you stop them?"

Diana's eyes narrowed. She couldn't stand men who thought their skills to be far more superior to anyone's. She knew she shouldn't have done it, but she just couldn't resist. "Was it supposed to be hard?" She kept her eyes forward, not daring to give him the satisfaction of eye contact.

He hastily grabbed her chin and pulled her to him. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" She retorted.

Diana freed her chin from his grasp and he walked over to Kal. "I am Vandal Savage, ruler of this Earth," he took a dramatic pause before continuing, "and I am here in front of you today because I want to get to know the two average people who took down my men." His black, vacant eyes stared into her soul as he continued. "Now, we can either do this the easy way," he caressed his beard as if thinking over the situation, "or the hard way." He snapped his fingers and immediately several doors exactly like the one he had entered from opened, revealing lines upon lines of soldiers.

He gestured to the gunmen behind him with a carefree expression on his face but blood lust danced in his eyes. "Either way is fine by me; the only difference is that one option gives us a chance to discuss peacefully while the other," he inhaled sharply for effect, "let's just say one of us won't be leaving this intact." He moved back towards his men and sat in a throne chair that had been brought for his comfort. Once he was comfortable, he rested his chin on his hand. "Your choice."

Deciding that this show had gone on long enough, Diana slowly approached his throne. Kal reached for her in attempt to hold her back but she waved him off. The vile man before her had basked in this alternate Earth's misery. Now she would revel in his downfall. She lifted her leg up high and brought it down with all her might. Diana slammed the back of her heel on his chair, sending the wood in every direction. The false leader was able to stabilize himself from falling but he was now slightly unsteady.

Diana took the opportunity and spoke with such grace only royalty could have, "We have made our choice," and proceed to punch Vandal Savage, ruler of this Earth, in the nose.

* * *

Batman tilted his head back as he chugged water out of a canteen. He had been walking for approximately twenty minutes and had seen no other unusual sightings of any portals or the creatures that came out of said portals. Alfred had sent information on portals not long after he had started his trek, but minimum sightings of portals meant minimum knowledge as well. He had studied and memorized what was given to him and knew only two things. One, that the portal was most likely not a form of time travel, but of alternate dimension or world jumping. All theories led to the conclusion that if it had been time travel, the timeline would have already begun to change. Two, the ride through the portal has no time. It could take minutes, days, or years to go from one destination to another.

He continued to stagger along the metal ground and looked up to the supposed blue skies. Batman's hand absentmindedly moved for his utility belt and equipped himself with a batarang. He hurled it at the allusion above him and watch as a glitch spread through the sky, flickering it to its true alarming color; blood red. For just a moment, the demons of this world laid bare. Then as if it never happened, the moment was gone and the lie was put back into place.

Batman eyes narrowed from beneath his cowl but he straightened his back, clenched his fists, and moved on. His hand subconsciously fiddled with the settings on his earpiece changing it frequently to check his location, surroundings, and vital signs. After repeating this cycle twice, he paused; his map had a disturbance a few miles ahead. Batman began to make a list of possible scenarios—the creatures from the portal, Savage's robots and soldiers, common troublemakers—and with a push of a button he called for the Batmobile.

A green light appeared on his map signaling the vehicle's departure, and he waited until he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up before jumping and landing right in the driver's seat. He fastened his seatbelt, switched off the autopilot feature, and closed the roof of the Batmobile. Batman put both of his hands on the steering wheel and floored the gas pedal, speeding to where he knew was a party that he intended to crash.

Bruce winced; he'd save the overused battle taunts for Dick and Jason.

As he made a sharp turn around a corner, Batman was greeted by two figures, cloaked in nothing but cotton shirts and cargo pants, in the midst of a skirmish with Vandal Savage's elite forces. He quickly decided that anyone fighting against his enemy is his ally and switched the Batmobile's controls to autopilot and set the course for the heart of Savage's soldiers. Right when it was about to make contact, he leaped out of his vehicle and grabbed each side of his cape, fanning it out in a wing like fashion to glide down without any disturbance.

He came face to face with a woman giving a roundhouse kick to a soldier's rib and he raised an eyebrow when he heard a crack. Batman heard a snarl rip through her as she grabbed the back of a shirt belonging to another soldier who had jumped on her and threw him down in front of her. Batman watched as she turned and faced him. His eyes softened for a split second; she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, but before she could get any word out, she was tackled and forced to wrestle with another trooper.

Batman turned his focus to Savage, who hadn't noticed him yet. He was attempting to escape via private escort but Batman had no intention of letting him go without answering a few questions.

He allowed his cape to cloak him and he blended into the shadows. Batman moved swiftly on his feet through all the chaos until he was right behind the devil himself and grasped Savage into a choke hold. Before he could yell for aid, Batman covered his mouth and injected him with a neutralizing serum. When the man in his hold didn't slacken, the Dark Knight soon found himself flipped over and on the hard ground. His spine jolted and he squeezed his eyes shut, allowing a groan to slip out of his clenched mouth. Old wounds never really lost their pain.

Batman forced himself to open his eyes and saw Savage plunge his knife down with the intent to kill. He brought his hands up to block as much as the blow as he could, when suddenly he was rolled out of harm's way. He whipped his head in the direction the push came from and saw the woman from before.

A look of raw rage and power was etched onto her face. She had both of her arms crossed in X formation keeping the blade at bay. The sound of the knife scraping against her silver gauntlets sent an eerie chill throughout his body. Her muscles flexed as she steadily overpowered the male above her before finally pushing him off her forcing him to stand.

The Dark Knight took this time to recover and issued himself two more batarangs. He flung it just right and it caught on Savage's shirt, pinning him against the alley wall. He stalked towards the villain and gave him an iconic Batglare. "What is this?" Batman gestured to the bodies of soldiers behind him and to the woman now next to her companion. "What have you been up to, Savage? You've kept a low profile these past couple days and it isn't because you've decided to lift up on the pressure. What's changed?" He held the second batarang up to the man's Adam's apple and pressed it just hard enough to irritate the skin below.

But Savage just chuckled darkly and raised his neck higher. "Come on, Detective. You're a smart man; you know that this interrogation will go nowhere. I feel no pain. I have learned to control death and bend it to my will. One day, you will learn that there is nothing you can do to strike fear into my heart."

Frustrated, Batman removed the batarang from the dictator's neck and stabbed it into the opposite sleeve, leaving Savage cackling in the alley.

He called for the Batmobile and leaped into the vehicle. Batman made sure everything was in order and took a sharp turn and drove off in the direction of the manor. His paranoia caught up with him and he checked the rear view mirror for the eighth time. Once satisfied that he was not being followed, he turned his attention back to the road ahead of him only to see the form of a woman and man. His eyes narrowed, never truly surprised by anything these days, and slammed the breaks stopping right before impact.

Batman had no plans to abandon the Batmobile. He would just drive around them and continue to go to the manor like any normal day after patrol. But that was before; before the woman he had been so enchanted by mouthed a word. Imagine a word that had the power to either destroy the world or make it. A word that finally made the Dark Knight's eyes widen. Just a single word shattered his thoughts.

 _"Bruce."_

And suddenly, Bruce knew that his normality—however little—had been fractured and destroyed by this one deadly angel before him.

* * *

Vandal Savage, ruler of this Earth, paced back and forth in the comfort of his own military compound.

"I want a full background done on both the rebels we encountered today! I want to know every single minor and major fact about these two and how they were able to defeat dozens of my men," Savage barked orders at officers hurrying to get away from the angry man. His veins were visibly straining in his neck and his eyes were blood hungry.

A hesitant new recruit lifted his head and addressed his leader. "What about the Batman, sir? How will he be dealt with?"

Savage slowly turned his head as if to ponder the inquiry. He stroked his beard and sat upon his new, very not destroyed throne. "How indeed," he spoke with a voice that felt like death crawling up the soldiers' spines. He lifted his eyes and stared straight into the window overseeing Gotham City. His face reflected in the glass revealing the man's crazed eyes. Lightning sounded in the distance.

"I will exterminate the Bat. But first, I will take what is most dear to him; first, I will break the Bat." Savage stood and walked to a cage that he kept on display. It contained a bat. He opened the cage and allowed the creature to crawl into his hands.

"Once his city is demolished, he will lose reason." He snapped the bat's wing.

"Once his family is annihilated, he will lose hope." He broke the other wing.

"Once, he is alone, he will be nothing." He squashed the life out of the bat.

Savage lifted his gaze to the men in front of him. "The Bat will fall," he uttered and dropped the dead animal to the ground. "As for the other two," Savage walked back to his chair and perched himself upon it, "it seems that it'll be a package deal." He looked to the surveillance cameras across from him and saw the three conversing intently.

Vandal Savage, ruler of this earth, would obliterate all who stood in his path.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading! I'm planning to do like twice a month updates: one early in the month one late in the month. But next month I'll be out of the country so that will be cutting it close for even one update most likely in the beginning of the month. How'd you think about the chapter? Trying to do some subtle Wonderbat at this point but don't expect any fast romances, guys! Also, I love Bruce but I hated writing his POV this chapter. I feel like I'll start to really enjoy it later on when we'll get to see into his thought process and how he truly feels ;)**

 **Special thanks to my Beta for this chapter lostinthepsychward on tumblr!**

 **Find me on tumblr at sithzutara.**

 **Favorite, follow, review, and spread the word!**

 **xxYasmin**


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